Hello everyone, Matthew Black, President, RAAC

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1 Hello everyone, I'm delighted and honored to be RAAC's new Board president and hoping to fill the big shoes left by Joanne Hilty. Thanks to Joanne, the RAAC Board is brimming with talent and energy, and I am looking forward to continuing to work with them in my new role. You'll see in this issue of the RAAC newsletter a great array of upcoming programs: films at The Theatre at Washington, a behind-the-scenes talk at the library, a new workshop at the RAAC Community Theatre, the announcement of this year's Claudia Mitchell Arts Fund awards to 11 local artists and community arts programs, and more. See you at the movies on May 6! Matthew Black, President, RAAC

2 Vol. 2, #4 May/June In this issue... May 2 First Friday at the Movies: "The Book Thief" May 2 May 6 May 9 Jun 6 Jul 12 News News Claudia Mitchell Arts Fund grants announcement Give Local Piedmont: Turbocharge your donation! Second Friday at the Library: "Mother Fracker" Larry Bud Meyer, author First Friday at the Movies: "Philomena" RAAC Community Theatre: Live to Tell: A storytelling workshop. Sign up now! Artists of Rappahannock Studio & Gallery Tour: Featured artist Benita Rauda Gowen Meet RAAC's new president

3 First Friday at the Movies: "The Book Thief" Friday, May 2, 8pm, $6, at The Theatre At Washington 291 Gay Street, Washington, VA Click on arrow above to play the trailer. Starring Sophie Nelisse, Geoffrey Rush, and Emily Watson Directed by Brian Percival Rated PG-13, 131 minutes Based on the beloved international bestselling book, "The Book Thief" tells the story of Liesel, an extraordinary and courageous young girl sent to live with a foster family in World War II Germany. Liesel learns to read with encouragement from her new family and Max, a Jewish refugee they are hiding under the stairs. For Liesel and Max, the power of words and imagination become the only escape from the tumultuous events happening around them. This film is a life-affirming story of survival and of the resilience of the human spirit. Upcoming movie:"philomena," Jun 6, 8pm Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Sophie Kennedy Clark (see movie review below) Click to visit RAAC's Film page. Claudia Mitchell Arts Fund grants announcement May 2014 RAAC is happy to announce eleven grants to Rappahannock artists and organizations, including six organizations, two performing groups, and two individual artists. In keeping with the vision of the Claudia Mitchell Arts Fund, the grants reward and encourage county organizations that are working to foster the arts in Rappahannock and local artists of all ages, especially emerging ones. Of the many worthy applications that were received, the following are the recipients of this year's Mitchell grants, totaling $21,900: * Castleton Festival - for participation of 100 Rappahannock students in "Castleton Alive" program as part of Castleton Festival * Child Care and Learning Center - for a weekly music program for preschoolers with guest artist Forrest Marquisee * Child Care and Learning Center - for their summer Theater Arts Camp for elementary school-age children * Headwaters Foundation - for a mosaic project at RCES including a field trip to the National Gallery of Art

4 * Kid Pan Alley - for an intergenerational songwriting residency at RCES and Hearthstone School * Mandalele - for a public performance at the Rappahannock Senior Center * Middle Street Gallery - for a workshop series taught by member artists and an intern/docent program with RCHS * Mountainside Dance Center - for scholarships for four underserved youth dance students * Pete Pazmino, a writer from Chester Gap - for support to complete his novel at a month-long writing residency at Virginia Center for the Creative Arts in Amherst, VA * Darien Reece, an artist from Woodville - to attend a soapstone carving class at the Art League School in Alexandria, VA * 1000 Faces Mask Theater - for a public performance of masks, dancers, actors, and musicians at the property of John Henry and Ann Crittendon in October New RAAC Board president Matthew Black remarks, "The Committee and RAAC Board are so impressed with the range and quality of art-making in the county, and we are pleased to encourage more with our second round of annual grants. The Fund seeks to enliven and sustain the arts in Rappahannock and further enhance the quality of our community life." Visit RAAC's Mitchell Fund page.

5 Give Local Piedmont: Turbocharge your donation! Tuesday, May 6, 12:00am to 11:59pm Help build community through the arts by making a donation to RAAC through Give Local Piedmont. On May 6, 2014, the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation is joining more than 100 communities throughout the United States for a national day of local giving called Give Local America. This nation-wide celebration of the 100th anniversary of community foundations provides an opportunity to shine a spotlight on nonprofit organizations like RAAC that serve their local communities. For Rappahannock County, NPCF has launched the Give Local Piedmont program as a way to make it fun and easy for individuals to support their local nonprofits. Double your dollars! Contributions made online on May 6 through Give Local Piedmont may be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Fauquier Health Foundation (up to $5,000 per gift and $100,000 in overall donations). This means that RAAC supporters have a tremendous opportunity to leverage their giving dollars in support of the arts in our community. To make a donation through Give Local Piedmont, just click on this link any time between 12:00am and 11:59pm on Tuesday, May 6. With the help of our generous donors - and the match through Give Local Piedmont - RAAC will continue to provide dynamic arts programs and grants in Rappahannock County. Click to visit RAAC's website. Second Friday at the Library: "Mother Fracker" Larry Bud Meyer, author Friday, May 9, 8pm, Rappahannock County Library RAAC caps off its Spring season with a double dose of local culture. Larry Bud Meyer, a Rappahannock resident, will talk about his new novel, a thriller set in Rappahannock. Meyer's debut novel, "Mother Fracker," is "a seriocomic environmental novel" that imagines what happens when fracking comes to our idyllic county. The program is free. Meyer was a journalist and executive at the Miami Herald for many years and part of a team that won a Pulitzer prize for its coverage of Hurricane Andrew. He divides his time between Miami and Rappahannock, though he says that lately Virginia has pulled ahead of Florida. Copies of Meyer's book will be for sale (at a discount) at the talk. Impatient readers can also purchase "Mother Fracker" at R.H. Ballard in Washington, the Corner Store in Sperryville, and at

6 After the May talk, the Second Friday series will take a summer break. The program will resume in September, and we're eager to find speakers for next year. Please suggestions to edward.dolnick@gmail.com. Click to visit RAAC's website. First Friday at the Movies: "Philomena" Friday, Jun 6, 8pm, $6, at The Theatre At Washington 291 Gay Street, Washington, VA Click on arrow above to play the trailer. Starring Judi Dench, Steve Cogan, Sophie Kennedy Clark Directed by Stephen Frears Rated PG-13, 98 minutes The title character of Stephen Frears' film "Philomena" is played by renowned actress Judi Dench. Philomena is an elderly Irish woman who, as a teenager, gave birth while she was working at a convent. The Catholic Church had the child adopted. Now, decades later, Philomena is introduced to Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), onetime government spokesperson who is working as a freelance journalist. Martin agrees to help Philomena look for her son. The trail takes them to the United States, and brings them face-to-face with some long-buried secrets. All the while, the type-a Martin and the ceaselessly charming Philomena learn to trust each other. The First Friday at the Movies series will resume in the Fall. Click to visit RAAC's Film page. RAAC Community Theatre: Live to Tell: A Storytelling Workshop Saturday, July 12, 1pm to 4:30pm 310 Gay Street, Washington, VA $50 per person "This American Life," "The Moth," "Story Corps," and right here at RAAC's annual "No Ordinary Person" show... storytelling is everywhere, live and on broadcast media. This workshop offers the opportunity to explore this medium for yourself. "No Ordinary Person" director Joyce Abell and author Marion Winik, who teaches storytelling in Baltimore, will offer tips and guidelines to help you focus on the meaningful experiences in your life, shape those experiences into stories, and present them to an audience. You'll have the opportunity to tell a tale and get constructive feedback. Click to visit RAAC's Community Theatre page.

7 News: Artists of Rappahannock Studio & Gallery Tour Featured artist Benita Rauda Gowen We have an exciting group of artists/galleries on this year's Art Tour, scheduled for November 1 & 2. A perennial favorite is Benita Rauda Gowen of Flint Hill. When the Soviets invaded Latvia in 1944, Benita fled to a refugee camp and eventually to the US. These experiences fueled a sense of loss of cultural identity, fear of war and its atrocities, and a sense of disconnectedness that she is still exploring in her paintings and collages. She loves to explore how changes in form and color affect one's emotional response. (Photos of paintings courtesy Benita Rauda Gowen) Click to visit RAAC's website.

8 News: Meet RAAC's new president Matthew Black has served on the RAAC Board for seven years. He has been responsible for RAAC's membership and budget as board vice-president, and he is on the Art Tour and the Mitchell Arts Fund committees. Matthew and his wife, Barbara, were weekenders for 18 years with a cabin outside of Flint Hill. They've recently built a house near Sperryville and moved full-time to Rappahannock last June with great excitement! Matthew and Barbara lived on Capitol Hill for 35 years, where they raised their two children. They're now reveling in their new roles as grandparents and are scheming to entice the young ones to visit Rappahannock often. Professionally, Matthew is an economist and spent years engaged in academic and policy research and later in management consulting. He retired as senior vice president at SRA International, a large IT consulting and systems engineering firm in northern Virginia. Since retiring, Matthew has pursued his passion for photography - exhibiting in Seattle and Washington DC, and has started to show locally at Middle Street Gallery and RDA's Confluent Gallery. He is looking forward to being a participating artist in the upcoming Artists of Rappahannock Studio & Gallery Tour in November. Matthew remarks, "Rappahannock County - its land, people, traditions - inspires and refuels me. I'm looking forward to rooting here and contributing to the quality of our community life. The arts in particular offer opportunities to enliven and sustain our community in creative ways. I look forward to partnering with others to help make that happen." Click to visit RAAC's website. Mark Your Calendar! For all the details, additions, and schedule changes, visit RAAC's calendar. New events are added frequently, so please check often. The Rappahannock Association for the Arts and the Community PO Box 24 Washington, VA RAAC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization staffed solely by volunteers. us at newsletter@raac.org

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